The Ho Chi Minh City Union of Friendship Organisations (HUFO) and the Vietnam-Cambodia Friendship Association (VCFA) in the city on November 8 held a ceremony to mark Cambodia’s Independence Day (November 9, 1953-2018).

Cambodian Consul General in HCM City Im Hen speaks at the ceremony

Addressing the event, VCFA President Truong Minh Nhut stressed that November 9, 1953 has become an historical milestone in Cambodia’s history of national construction and defence.

Over the past 65 years, Cambodian people have reaped great achievements across fields and seen their living standards being improved, he said, adding that the country has expanded its foreign relations and heightened its position and prestige in the international arena.

Nhut highlighted the traditional friendship, fruitful cooperation, solidarity and mutual support between Vietnam and Cambodia in the past struggles for national liberation as well as the present national construction and development.

Leaders and peoples of the two countries are making efforts to consolidate the solidarity and friendship, cooperate in socio-economic development and closely coordinate with each other at international forums, in order to elevate the friendship to a new high, for the benefit of the two peoples, and for the sake of peace, stability and cooperation in the region, he said.

The VCFA has organised activities to bring citizens of the two countries closer, along with social welfare programmes to support poor Cambodians and Vietnamese in Cambodia, according to Nhut.

Im Hen, Cambodian Consul General in HCM City, described the celebration as a demonstration of the solidarity and friendship of Vietnamese leaders and people, and the city in particular towards Cuba.

The long-standing friendship has become a valuable asset of the two countries, and been consolidated by generations of Vietnamese and Cambodian leaders and peoples, he said.

The diplomat used the occasion to thank the Vietnamese Party, Government, army and people for their wholehearted support to Cambodia during the liberation of the country from the Pol Pot genocidal regime in 1979.

Two-way trade between Vietnam and Cambodia exceeded US$3 billion in 2017 and reached over US$2.1 billion in the first eight months of this year.

Last year, Vietnam invested a total of US$582 million in Cambodia, becoming the biggest ASEAN investor and the second largest among the countries and territories investing in Cambodia.